Google introduces Handwrite Search, we give it a thorough work out

Apparently more convenient than typing

Not quite enough room for the longest word we know - luckily you can do it in parts

Now you can physically write your search queries on to Google using your touchscreen iOS or Android device.

Apparently this is more convenient than typing it into the little box using actual letters on an actual keyboard.

To activate it, you'll need to go to Google.com in your mobile browser, hit settings and enable handwriting search. Then it's just a case of refreshing the page then tapping the little 'g' in the bottom right hand corner of the screen to get searching.

We gave it a thorough going over, as we hope you have come to expect from TechRadar. It was a little slow to recognise writing over 3G but very nippy over some robust Wi-Fi.

First of all, we tried a spot of cursive (because we were brought up well, you know):

Verdict: close, but no cigar.

Then we tried capitals:

Success!

After that, we rocked out the left-hand (your humble writer is a rightie):

Success!

Next up: upside down writing:

What, what? Success!

Now we'll concede that we're actually pretty excellent at writing both upside down and with the wrong hand, but so we may have been at an advantage.

But finally we tried TechRadar in normal handwriting diagonally across the screen, as Google promises that we should be able to "write anywhere" on the screen.

Oh dear.

In conclusion, always write upside down with the wrong hand in cursive and you'll be fine.